Happy 4th! How to keep small ears safe during the loudest holiday

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Health, Science & Environment
Happy 4th! How to keep small ears safe during the loudest holiday
St. Louis Public Radio | By Sarah Fentem
Published July 3, 2024 at 5:11 PM CDT
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The picture depicts a person holding a small child, shown from behind, watching red and green fireworks explode.
Tristen Rouse
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Andrea Estefania holds Mateo, 2, while they watch the 2023 fireworks show under the Gateway Arch.
Fireworks are a summer tradition on the Fourth of July. But health experts say parents should protect their children’s ears from damage that can come from loud booms.

Depending on how close one is to the blasts and how powerful the explosions are, fireworks can be as loud as 150 decibels. That’s as loud as a jet plane taking off or a close-range gunshot.

Exposure to those kinds of loud noises can cause hearing loss and other health issues for people of all ages, said Adrienne Childers, a pediatric otolaryngology professor at St. Louis University School of Medicine. But young kids can can be especially susceptible.